[Approximately 18 hours later, 3,000 additional troops and 5,000 mechanical soldiers will be sent to your unit, led by Commander Wei Hongyang.]
[I will arrive within the next two days for a brief inspection of the camp.]
More reinforcements! And so many at once!
Che Zhen quickly calculated. The timing was just right, and the newly constructed camp was almost filled again.
The boss was actually coming in person, which meant they were really in a hurry.
...
Noon the next day.
Arctic Camp Zero.
Six spacecraft landed slowly. The sound waves and air currents blew away the thin layer of snow on the ground, scattering the snow powder like salt particles.
Che Zhen, along with a group of officers, lined up to wait.
The hatch of the first spacecraft opened slowly.
Three people in red combat suits descended the ladder first.
Che Zhen quickly stepped forward to salute, trying to discern their faces through their masks.
"Greetings, Commander!" Che Zhen paused. "Greetings, Commander's wife! Greetings, Director Xu!"
Jiang Ye returned a salute, Xu Yan waved at him, and Cen Yemeng nodded slightly.
Following them down was an officer, Wei Hongyang, who saluted Che Zhen.
Che Zhen returned the salute, taking a careful look.
He was a fat man with a fleshy face, his eye sockets sunken deep, and his eyes shone like a wolf's, possessing an intimidating fierceness.
The name Wei Hongyang was unfamiliar. He wasn't a local officer from Jiang Ye Star before, but rather an associate professor at the Officer University. Che Zhen had a vague impression of the name but had never met the person. He was surprised that Jiang Ye would send him here to command thousands of troops.
"It's truly desolate," Jiang Ye gazed into the distance at the vast expanse of white hail sea.
"Camp Zero is indeed a bit desolate. Camp One is quite lively. Last night, a group of Mil apes attempted to attack the military camp and were wiped out by concentrated fire from the flap-wings," Che Zhen replied. "Where would you like to inspect first?"
"Inspection can wait. Let's go to the conference room first," Jiang Ye shook his head.
Che Zhen was taken aback, then quickly reacted, "Please follow me."
The conference room was on the second floor of the main star station building. It was only fifty square meters, with a cement floor and chalk walls. Apart from tables and chairs, there wasn't even a pantry. Jiang Ye looked at the ceramic cup with floating tea leaves in front of him, feeling a sense of returning to ancient times.
Xu Yan, dressed in a pure black formal suit, sat down and busied herself with operating the screen in front of her, checking the various data of Birong Star, occasionally kneading her fingers.
Having known her for so long, Jiang Ye had some understanding of her little habits. Kneading her fingers indicated that Xu Yan was excited by the scent of money, and even the fine hairs on her wrists were standing on end with anticipation.
Cen Yemeng was dressed plainly, without any makeup, but still looked beautiful. Her charming eyes gazed at her husband, lost in thought. She had no work to do this time; she simply wanted to be close to her husband, much like a young girl in the throes of love who didn't want to be separated from her boyfriend.
Wei Hongyang also buried his head in the screen in front of him, his hands constantly moving across it. He wore a shirt, and his physique was so large that the buttons seemed on the verge of bursting.
Che Zhen sat beside him, silently observing Wei Hongyang's hands. Those hands were quite peculiar: large and fat, with swollen knuckles, and veins as clear as plant roots, exuding a sense of power. These hands seemed more suited to gamblers or shady businessmen than to an officer. Besides his imposing presence, Wei Hongyang also possessed a shrewdness that reeked of money.
"I'm here for three main things," Jiang Ye took a sip of water. "First, Director Xu's cooperation with the military will extend from Jiang Ye Star to Birong Star. She will stay on Birong Star for a period to help build various facilities."
"Welcome, Director Xu. You are an old friend of the military. We look forward to pleasant cooperation in the future," Che Zhen immediately expressed his commitment, as they were old acquaintances.
"My construction team is already on its way. If all goes smoothly, they should land within two days," Xu Yan smiled.
"The second matter is to bring you a capable subordinate," Jiang Ye said. "Wei Hongyang, a talent recruited from Jingang Star. He has ten years of military service, has commanded a total of over twenty thousand troops, fought in several major battles, holds dual master's degrees, and is highly experienced."
"That's quite an impressive resume," Che Zhen shook his hand.
"A good soldier doesn't boast about past glories. Please judge me by my future achievements, Brother Che," Wei Hongyang revealed a slight smile, full of confidence.
"Wei Hongyang's primary talent isn't in leading troops into battle; his identity is that of a military merchant," Jiang Ye stated.
"Military merchant?" Che Zhen was surprised.
"On Jingang Star, his job was to help the military save expenses appropriately and find opportunities to make money. If he led a thousand soldiers, he could earn enough for ten thousand or even more soldiers' pay. Jingang Star has many military merchants like him," Jiang Ye smiled. "Birong Star is in a special situation and needs to develop quickly, so I've asked him to come and help you."
"The profession of a military merchant is quite sensitive," Wei Hongyang took a sip of tea, with a half-smile. "Throughout history, there have been many periods when military merchants were sentenced to death, and today many planets prohibit them. The reason is simple: when soldiers and money gather, unpredictable and serious consequences can sometimes arise. My job essentially boils down to two words: discretion."
Everyone looked at him.
"I know what to do and what not to do. I can hit the brakes in time and ensure my subordinates know when to stop. Discretion is the foundation of our profession. As long as Brother Che trusts me and provides me with some support, the military expenses of Birong Star's forces can become much more abundant, without any negative incidents occurring," Wei Hongyang said.
"We are all working for the Commander," Che Zhen narrowed his eyes, avoiding a direct commitment.
"Xu Yan and Wei Hongyang, you two will form a team. For construction and economic plans, discuss them and then submit them to Che Zhen for review. For minor matters, if Che Zhen deems them appropriate, he can approve them directly. For major matters, report to me. You will also submit a weekly work log to me," Jiang Ye instructed.
"Understood!" everyone replied in unison.
"The third matter," Jiang Ye said, "is to help you find mines."
...
After the meal, the flap-wing aircraft team took off from Camp Zero and proceeded at low altitude.
Jiang Ye sat in the co-pilot's seat of the lead aircraft, wearing a respirator and connecting a tube to the outside window.
He squinted and remained silent, appearing to be asleep.
In the cabin behind him, the accompanying soldiers curiously looked forward, whispering amongst themselves.
"What is the Commander doing?"
"We don't understand, and we don't dare to ask."
"I heard that the Commander is here to find mines."
"Find mines? What does that mean?"
"It means mineral deposits underground. The Commander finds them, and then we start mining."
"What nonsense is that? Finding mines requires detectors. How can you find anything by just looking from the sky in a plane? What can you see from up there?"
"Is it by looking at feng shui? I heard the Commander is an ancient person, perhaps he possesses some lost feng shui knowledge."
The noise in the cabin was loud, completely drowning out the soldiers' whispers, making it impossible to hear anything from the front.
After flying for more than ten minutes, Jiang Ye suddenly sat up straight.
"Fly south," he ordered.